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PMS. GROSS. HEEL BUILDlNG MAGHINB. Y No. 602,005* Patented Apr. 5,1898.

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E. S. GROSS.

HEEL BUILDING MACHINE.

No. 002,005. Patented Apr. 5,1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER S. GROSS, OF ELLSVVORTH, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO J. H. HOPKINS, `OF

I SAME PLACE.

HEEL-Bonomo MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingfpart of Letters Patent No. 6o2,oo5, dated April 5, 1898.

Application filed January 18, 1897. Serial No. 619,588. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER S. GROSS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ellsworth, in the county of Hancock and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Heel-Building Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides a machine for building and forming heels for boots, shoes, and similar foot-gear which will grip the heel and hold it firmly during the constructing process, and which is adjustable and capable of being adapted to heels of different size and height, and which will release the completed heel and admit of its ready discharge without requiring elevating or lowering thereof, a gage forming a wall of the heel-space dropping below the level of the table or bed, so as to admit of the heel being swept from the bed by a iirt of the hand.

The present machine is simple and compact inthe disposition of its parts and is positive in action and performs the required work in a rapid and effective manner and is durable, the parts being accessible for adjustment, oiling, cleaning, repairing, and for any desired purpose.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

The improvement issusceptible of variousI changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction withontdeparting from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine especially designed for attaining the objects sought to be accomplished by the present invention. Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the line X X of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the relation of the parts prior to gripping the heel. Fig. is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the position of the parts when gripping the heel. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the manner of connecting the spring to the arms bearing the side formers.

Corresponding and like parts are referred like fastening 12.

to in the following description and indicated in the several views of the accompanying drawings .by the same reference characters.

The machine'in its organization comprises, essentially, a head having theoperating parts, a suitable support for the head, and a treadle mechanism for actuating the movable parts. As shown, the support appears as a stand 1, although it is obvious that a bench, table, or other means may be resorted to for holding the head in an operative or working position. The head comprises a bed or table 2, side formers 3, pivoted arms 4, a reciprocating head'5, a gage 6, adjustable stops 7, and the adjunctive parts essential to the proper assemblage and cooperation of the working elements. A bearing 8 is adj ustably securedto the bed 2 by fastenings 9, operating through slots 10 of the said bearing, and receives the shank or stem 11 of the reciprocating head 5, by means of which the latter is directed vin its movements. While the head 5 and shank 11 may be integrally formed, they are shown as separate parts, the shank entering a recess or socket formed in the rear side of the head 5 and held therein by means of a screw or The rear end of the shank 11 has a slot 13, and the open end of the slot is closed by a pin 14, and the upper end of the vertical member 15 of a bell-crank lever 16 projects into the slot 13 and operates therein between the pin la and the closed inner end of the slot. This bell-crank lever 16 is fulcrumed at its elbow to a bracket 17, pendent from thel bed 2, and a rod 17 connects the horizontal member 18 with a treadle 19, the front end of the treadle being normally held elevated by a spring 2O and rod 21, the upper end of the spring being secured to the head of the machine in any convenient way. e

The arms et are curved in their length and have pivotal connection at their inner or rear ends with the reciprocating head 5, and are normally held separated at their free ends by a bow-spring 22, which has'loose connection at its ends with the arms by means of headed fastenings 23.

approximately triangular form, have pivotal connection intermediate of their ends to the front extremities of the arms 4, and their in- The side formers 3, of j IOO ' comprehended.

ner or rear ends are adapted to engage with set-screws 24, operating in threaded openings otl the arms 4, and which set-screws constitute adjusting means for properly positioning the side formers 3 with respect to the size and shape of the heel to be constructed. The inner or engaging faces of the formers 3 are concaved to approximate the convex form of a heel as generally constructed.

The adjustable stops 7 are adapted to engage with the front ends of the formers 3 when the latter are advancing to grip the heel and turn said formers on their pivotal connections, so as to cause their rear ends to engage with the inner terminals of the set- 4screws 24, and by a proper adjustment of the stops 7 and set-screws 24 the position of the formers 3, with respect to their supportingarms 4, can be changed to cause the formers to engage with and grip the sides of the heel throughout their entire length. The adjustableM stops 7 are curved arms having pivotal connection at their rear ends with the bed 2 and bearing antifriction-rollers 25 at their front ends to engage with the forward portion of the side formers. Set-screws 26, operating in threaded lugs 27 of the bed 2, are adapted to bear against the pivoted arms 7 and move the latterto the required position, to the end that the side formers 3 may be adjusted so as to bear against the sides of the heel throughout their length.

A rear former 28 operates in advance of the reciprocating head 5 and has adjustable connection therewith, so as to admit of its position being varied to suit the size of the heel to be built. This rear former 28 has a slotted shank 29, through which operates a bindingscrew 30, by means of which the former is secured to the said head in the located position.

The fastening 12 operates in the slot of the shank 29 and serves, in connection with the binding-screw 30, to direct the former 28 in its movements when adjusting it to vary the heel-space provided between the side formers 3, rear former 23, and gage 6.

An elbow-lever 31 is fulcrumed at its rear end to a lug 32, pendent from the bed 2, and its vertical member 33 is slotted, and screws or fastenings 34, operating in the slot, serve to adjustably connect the gage 6 therewith. A rod 35'connects the lever 31 with a treadle 36, and a spring 37 and rod 38 connect the treadle 36 with the head of the machine and hold the front end of the treadle elevated and in position to be lowered when applying pressure thereto. The gage 6 is a plate, and the height to which it projects above the bed 21 up or down the height of the heel can be regulated as required. The gage extends vertically and bears against the front edge of the bed 2` and is normally held in this position by the action of the spring 37, as will be readily The rods 17 and 35 are similarly formed and comprise two parts which are adjustably connected together, so as to admit of their being lengthened or shortened, as may be required.

As previously intimated, the heel-space is defined by the gage 6, rear former 28, and side formers 3. The straight side of the heel is adapted to engage with the gage, which is incapable of movement, so as to vary the boundary or confines of the heel-space. The rear and side formers are adjustable in the manner set forth, so as to vary and adapt the heelspace to the size of the heel to be formed. Normally the head 5 is drawn back by the action of the spring 2O and the side formers 3 are held separated by means of the spring 22. When applying pressure to the treadle 19, the head 5 will be advanced, and the parts 24 and 26 being previously properly adjusted the side formers 3 will be caused to grip the sides of the heel substantially in the manner set forth, and after the heel has been built to the requisite height, which is determined by the gage 6, the treadle 19 is released and the treadle 3G pressed upon, thereby lowering the gage, so that the completed heel may be easily and quickly swept or removed from the bed without requiring the intervention of any Vmechanism for raising or lowering it, so as to clear the formers. After the heel is disposed of the treadle 36 is released, when the gage 6, under the action of the spring 37, will be returned to a normal position and the machine will be in condition for a repetition of the operation just described.

A polished plate 39 is let into a recess in the top side of the bed 2 opposite the heel-forming space and comes flush with the bed and is adapted to admit of the completed heel being easily slid from the bed when removing l it from the machine.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a heel-building machine, the combination of a reciprocating head, a rear former having adjustable connection therewith, side formers, movable connections between the side formers and the said reciprocating head,

j means for relatively adjusting the side formv ers and movable connections, and adjustable stops to engage with the side formers as they j are advanced and simultaneously move them inward, substantially as set forth.

2. In a heel-building machine, the combination of side formers pivotally supported intermediate of their ends, and adjusting means operating upon the side formers upon oppoj site sides of their pivotal supports, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a heel-building machine, the combination with side formers, of curved arms pivotally supported and adapted to engage with the formers to one side of their support, and

, Set-screws for adjusting the said arms to vary the position of the formers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination, side formers pivotally IOO IIO

supported, and set-screws for turning the formers upon their pivotal supports, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a heel-building machine, the combination of pivoted arms bearing oppositely-disposed formers, a bow-spring for spreading the arms, at their free ends and normally holding the formers separated, headed fastenings passing through slots at the extremities of the bow-spring and loosely and positivelyconnecting them with the pivoted arms, substantially in the manner set forth. I

6. In combination, a reciprocating head, arms having connection with the head, formers pivotally attached to the arms, and adj ustable stops to engage with the formers to bring them together during a travel or movement of the head, substantially' as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination, a reciprocating head, arms having pivotal connection with the head, formers pivotally attached to the arms,means,

as set-screws, for adjusting the formers with respect to their carrying-arms, and adjustable stops to engage with the formers to cause them to grip the heel when moving the said head forward, substantially as described.

8. In a heel-building machine, the combination of a reciprocating head, arms movable with the head andbearing side formers, adj ustable stopsfor causing the formers to grip the heel, and a rear former having adjustable connection with the said reciprocating head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a heel-building machine, the combination with a bed and formers, of a lever bearl0. In a heel-building machine, the combi-4 nation witha bed, and formers, of a lever, and a gage having adjustable connection with the lever and movable with the latter to a point below the bed so as to admit of the ready removal of the completed heel, substantially as described.

11. In combinationa bed, a reciprocating head, a rear former having vadjustable connection with the head, arms pivotally attached to the said reciprocating head, a spring for holding the arms separated at their free ends, side formers pivotally attachedto the arms, set-screws interposed between the side formers` and their arms, other arms pivoted to the bed and bearing antifriction-rollers to engage with the front ends of the side formers, setscrews for adjusting the last-mentioned arms, a vertically-adjustable gage, and actuating mechanism for the gage and reciprocating head, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER S. GROSS. Witnesses:

A. F. BURNHAM, KIDDER C. Moons. 

